Instinct
by DWPrincess29
Summary: What if the person that you loved, was someone that no one else could see? Started off as a oneshot idea, but it's fun to write so I think I'm going to continue it. There's a lot that I haven't gotten to include yet. LxOC Hiatus


_**Hi there readers. Yes, I am here with a Death Note fanfic. Squee ^^ **_

_**I got this idea from a book entitled **__**Sundays At Tiffany's **__**by James Patterson. Please read, review, & enjoy!**_

As a child I never had many friends. My father died when I was very young and my mother was a straight-laced career woman, which resulted in me sometimes being placed beneath her work responsibilities.

The only friend I ever remember having was Ryuzaki. I met him when I was seven years old. It was on a Saturday in late December and I needed a new dress to wear to Mother's company's New Year celebration party. We had left early that morning, it had been snowing all day, and the shops were all crowded with everyone buying last minute necessities for the holidays. Mother and I were exiting the third shop, which turned out to be another failed attempt, when I was suddenly separated from her.

The swarm of people around me made me nervous so I began to call out to her frantically. When I did not hear her voice responding to me, I thought that getting away from the crowd and into a less populated area would give me an advantage to finding her. Being the small child that I was, I found it simple to squeeze through the hoards of people. Unfortunately my feet did not always follow my commands due to the fact that I was extremely clumsy, and I ended tripping and falling face first into the snow covered sidewalk.

It was then that I began to cry. I was lost, confused, and had hurt my knee when I had tripped. Slowly I sat up and distributed my weight amongst my uninjured leg and my hands that were still palms down in the cold snow. I was beginning to lose hope when I heard a boy's voice.

"What are you doing down there in the snow like that? I'm pretty sure your mother would be upset if you got your clothes dirty."

I looked up and saw a boy about my age standing less than a foot away from me. Although it was extremely cold outside, he was wearing nothing but a long sleeved white shirt, blue jeans, and pair of old sneakers. His black hair covered most of his equally dark eyes and his hands were shoved into his pants pockets. He stood at an odd angle as he looked at me intently.

"I-I-I can't find my mother. I got lost in the crowd," I said as I continued to stare at him.

He removed one of his hands from his pockets and extended it out to me. I reached up and took it and allowed him to assist me in standing.

"Thank you," I said as I began to brush the snow off of my clothes. "Where are your parents at, anyway?"

"I live around here…so they're not too far away."

I looked at him curiously. Although he had already helped me the strange boy had not walked away yet, and he was still standing at that same awkward angle.

"I'm Ryuzaki," he continued.

"I'm As-"

"ASAMI! There you are!" I head my mother's voice from behind me. "Don't wander away from me again. Today is a busy day, and we are running out of time to get you a dress."

"Mommy, this is Ryuzaki, he helped me stand up after I fell and couldn't find you," I told her as I pointed to where the odd looking boy stood.

Confusion struck my mother's face.

"Asami, dear, please stop talking nonsense. There is nobody there. Come now, hurry. We truly do not have all day."

"But Mommy, he's right there. In the white shirt with the black hair," I protested.

"Asami! Stop it this instant and come with me. Look! There is nobody standing right there, just people walking by. Now for the last time, come on!"

I looked back at where I had saw Ryuzaki standing before my mother had rushed over, and he _was _still standing there. He gave me an unusual smile and I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could I was dragged away by my mother.

As Mother and I continued down the sidewalk, I couldn't help but think that maybe I had imagined the boy who had helped me. He had seemed so real though. Maybe due to the fact he was a child like me, she may have overlooked the spot where he had been standing and just not have noticed him. I clung to Mother's hand as we made our way through the many people that still filled the streets. We were standing in line to enter our fourth shop of the day when I heard a soft, familiar voice come from close beside me.

"Asa-chan. I have to tell you something, but you have to be quiet and whisper if you want to say something. It's Ryuzaki. Your mother can't see me or hear me. Nobody can except for you."

"Why not?" I whispered as quietly as I could, all the while staring out of the corner of my eye just to make sure that he really was there.

"Because that's just the way things are Asa-chan. I don't really understand why either, but I do want to be your friend."

At that moment I was overwhelmed with happiness. I had never had a friend before and after knowing Ryuzaki for such a short amount of time, he already wanted to become my friend. I decided that how he got there wasn't important anymore and I truly smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Okay," I whispered back to him. "I'll be your friend."

The line had thinned out and an opening appeared before us. Mother tugged on my hand and I began to follow her into the shop.

"Thank you Asa-chan. We will always be friends, okay?" Ryuzaki said as he reached for my free hand and walked, unseen, into the shop with us.

******************

**2 Years Later**

******************

"Asa-chan," Ryuzaki stated. "There is something I want to talk to you about."

I unwilling tore my eyes away from the beautiful strawberry cake that sat on the table in front of me.

"What is it, Ryuzaki-kun?"

Mother was on the upstairs telephone. Another family member had called to say they couldn't make it to my birthday party this year either.

"After today I have to leave."

"What?" I asked shocked.

"We talked about this before, remember? I have to go and be someone else's friend. There is someone that needs me right now."

"B-But Ryuzaki-kun, you're my best friend. I don't want you to leave," I said as I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. "I didn't know that you would have to leave me so soon."

"I don't want to go Asa-chan, but it can't be helped. As I've told you: In my world that's just the way things are."

"But you're going to forget about me, Ryuzaki-kun!" I exclaimed as I leapt from my seat and embraced him tightly.

"Asa-chan, I won't forget you. You're always going to be my best friend. Besides we will see each other again, okay?"

He patted my head as I continued to sob on his shoulder. I nodded a little to show that I understood. We both knew that this was going to happen. It was what fate had already decided.

We heard my mother making her way down the stairs. I returned to my seat and resumed staring at what was going to end up being my half-eaten birthday cake. Ryuzaki remained where he was. Mother brushed past him and looked at me sympathetically.

"Asami, dear. That was Aunt Najika on the telephone. She's took ill this morning and isn't going to be able to make it this year."

I said nothing in response. I didn't even look at her. My whole body felt empty and engulfed by sadness.

"Do you want some cake?" She asked in an attempt to cheer me up.

I accepted her offer, but still did not smile. Ryuzaki still sat in his seat beside me. I had decided on this cake because the flavor was something both of us enjoyed. I had been hoping we could share it together later on whenever Mother wasn't around, but now I wasn't so sure if we would be able to or not.

Later that night when the sun was about to set Ryuzaki and I sat in the backyard and watched it together. For the last time. The sky was streaked with orange and red, and a small plate sat on the ground between us with the remains of a slice of pink cake on it. It had been decided earlier that Ryuzaki would take his leave as soon as the sun had completely set.

"Ryuzaki-kun. Where are you going to go?" I asked breaking the silence that had settled uncomfortably around us.

"I'm not sure yet, Asa-chan. I just know that I have to go somewhere. I guess you could say that it's called instinct."

"But I thought that was when something was dying and nobody could bring it back?" I questioned.

"No silly. That's called _extinct_," he responded with a slight laugh.

"Oh…You always sound like a grown up…" I stated. "Then, Ryuzaki-kun. What's instinct?"

I pulled my legs up to my chest and nestled my head on my knees while he remained balancing on the toes of his feet beside me.

"Instinct is like following your heart and doing what it tells you to."

I thought on this for a brief moment before inquiring any further.

"So, did your instinct tell you to come find me?"

"Yes," he answered simply.

The sky was growing darker by the second, and in each moment that passed I reflected on the past two years. The two years in which I had a friend.

Ryuzaki stood up and hunched over into his usual strange stance then extended his hand out to me like he had done so many times before. I took it and allowed him to pull me from the ground. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and slumped over onto me. The tears released themselves from my eyes and I hugged him closer to me. The night was nearly upon us now and I knew that it was time to say goodbye. Reluctantly I released Ryuzaki. He peered up at me from beneath his dark hair.

"Goodbye for now, Asa-chan."

"Goodbye Ryuza-"

"Asami! It's time to come inside it's getting quite dark out there," my mother called out from the back porch. I turned my head and looked over in her direction. It was getting so dark now that I could barely see her silhouette leaning against the back door.

"Coming Mom!" I replied just loud enough for her to hear me.

I turned back to finish telling Ryuzaki goodbye, but he was already gone.


End file.
